The Tower of Trials
by TinyAppleSlice
Summary: Meet Gray, a Trainer aspiring to challenge the tumultuous Tower of Trials. With seventeen levels of pure terror, each specializing in a different type of Pokémon, rising to the top is certainly NOT going to be easy. Also, did I mention all the sibling issues, getting-lost issues, evil-mastermind issues, and almost-dying issues? OH YEAH! Reader, you're in for one hell of a ride.
1. A Lucky Kid

Disclaimer:

Fortunately, I don't own Pokémon. If I did own Pokémon, the innocence, characters, and plotlines of the Pokémon anime and games would have been destroyed. Particularly Ash. Btw, what are those zigzag lines on his cheeks doing there?

Author's Pre-Story Note:

First of all, this story is set in game-verse.

Secondly, I haven't written Pokémon fanfiction, let alone fanfiction, in a very, very long time. So forgive me for any mistakes that I happen to word-vomit out, because that's literally what I consider this story, a first draft that I can write anything that comes to mind without any tedious editing or teachers insisting that I write in the "right" way. Basically, my word-vomit.

Hopefully, you'll find my word-vomit enjoyable though, since I plan on enlightening everyone with life lessons through the eyes of pubescent teenage boy. Umm, it'll probably be better than it sounds. Maybe.

Now on with the word-vomit!

* * *

"Boy. Brown hair. Brown eyes. 13 years old. About 5'1''. Seen him?" inquired a little girl in a pure white dress.

Okay, so my sister and I were lost in these blasted woods for about FOUR hours without a hint of civilization, and then this girl comes out of flipping nowhere like a ninja (except she's dressed nothing like a ninja) asking me if I saw her stupid friend?

Just as I was about to retort with an eloquent response involving the waste of Camerupt, I made a very, very bad decision. I looked at the girl a bit more closely.

"Err…" I managed to choke out before staring like a Deerling in headlights. So much for the eloquent response.

She was startling. Not only was she wearing a bright white dress that seemed to blind everything within a 10-foot radius (including my eyes), but she strangely reminded me of a diamond: sharp, distinct, and clear-cut. Her dark hair severely contrasted with the brightness of her attire, and it was half tied up in the back with a hair ribbon the exact same shade as everything else she was wearing (which wasn't helping things visually, if you know what I mean). Although I guessed her age at around 12 years old, she had a mature air about her, kind of like royalty. And yet, none of those features seemed to matter as much as her piercing blue eyes, which seemed to bore into the very depths of my soul, searching for the answer to her pressing question.

"Umm…" I tried again to formulate a coherent response. Apparently, my speaking skills were broken. Add that to the blindness and I was practically a mute Brock.

Luckily, before it could get any more awkward, my sister came rambling out of a bush.

"I THINK I FOUND A WAY OUT!" Amber screamed excitedly.

Scratch that, she definitely made it more awkward.

Deeming that I was probably brain-dead, the girl wasted no time in asking my sister the same question.

"Boy. Brown hair. Brown eyes. 13 years old. About 5'1''. Seen him?"

Amber blinked. And she… stopped speaking.

Alright, whoever makes my sister stop speaking for more than 10 seconds deserves my sincere congratulations. I believe she's been perpetually talking since birth, and her incapability to do the most natural thing in the universe for her suddenly made my response, or rather lack of it, normal.

We stared at the girl for a good 3 minutes.

Finally, the little lady flipped her brunette hair with impatience. I guess dealing with two wide-eyed, open-mouthed teenagers wasn't exactly the most productive way of finding her (boy?)friend. After a small sigh and a quick adjustment of her white (of course) hair ribbon, she departed just as swiftly as she came.

After a long pause, my sister recovered first. "My eyesight has been reduced by at least 5 points by that one girl."

I nodded in agreement. The shock still hadn't left me.

"As I was saying, I THINK I FOUND A WAY OUT!" she squealed again, hurting my ears for the second time. Now I was mute, blind, and deaf. What luck.

Amber and I were in the Johto region, on our way to the notorious Tower of Trials, a Pokémon Trainer's toughest challenge since defeating the Champion. Or more accurately, two Champions. You needed to triumph over at least two Pokémon Leagues to even gain entry into the Tower in the first place. The Tower had seventeen levels, each level housing a master of a specific type or specialty of Pokémon. The difference in skill between each master was said to be as thin as a sheet of paper, and these masters were widely respected in all regions. Whoever defeated these masters was named a true Pokémon Master, and there were only three people in history who had ever made it to the top. And I was gonna be one of them. Right after I made it out of this damned forest.

"There's this path that doubles back on itself, see?" my sister said while pointing enthusiastically to the map, which might have been upside down. "And there's this hidden passage near this one tree, and the rest of the way, we have to follow this star."

"I think that's the compass rose." I stated blatantly.

"Well," she looked a bit perplexed before she continued on, "we still have to follow it, in any case. And then there's the tunnel…"

Before I could hear any more of my sister's brilliant plan to exit this maze paradox incarnation of hell, we were joyously interrupted by a young boy.

"Hey, could you help me find my girlfriend? She's brunette, blue-eyed, and wears really white clothes that are bright enough to blind things without eyes?"

I couldn't have said it better myself.

"We saw her a couple of minutes ago," I voiced, "but unfortunately, we were too, umm, blinded to see exactly where she went."

The boy nodded understandingly, and I turned to my sister to continue our conversation on whether the tunnel was in existence. Except our conversation didn't really continue. Amber was too busy gaping at the guy who just graced our presence.

Irritated and slightly curious, I glanced back at the boy, who was now climbing a tree. He fit the description stated by the girl earlier, but "description" might have been a stretch. Charming and slightly good-looking, at least for a 13 year old, this guy had a mischievous aura, and his shining eyes seemed to hint at a hidden prank unknown to ignorant passerby. His clothes matched his chestnut brown hair, and he brought to mind a younger brother, if I had a younger brother that is. I had the urge to simultaneously ruffle his hair and beat him up.

"I'm here, Stone."

"WHOA!" I screamed in a tone that was way too high pitched to be acceptable for a 15-year-old male to use. The girl in white had somehow teleported to the base of the tree that the guy was climbing, and at my noise, they both looked toward my increasingly embarrassed face.

The guy, Stone, examined my face a bit more as he descended, and now it was his turn to be surprised. "You look like exactly like…"

The girl interrupted, "He's not. Ages are different. Eyes as well."

I quickly became conscious of my gray eyes, which Amber would have described as "the magnificent color of the full moon amidst the darkest of night." She had a matching pair.

Knowing my sister, she couldn't stay silent for long. "The guy you're referring to is probably our stepbrother. He's kinda famous."

"Yeah," Stone laughed, "I met him."

"As did I," stated the girl in white.

My fists clenched as my sister kept on talking avidly about my older stepbrother. According to everyone in the Pokémon world, I looked exactly like him, and also according to everyone in the Pokémon world, he was amazing. I couldn't object, because as a trainer, he was one of the best. Amber and I had admired him more than anyone, but five years ago, he abandoned us and went missing. He's the primary reason I wanted to challenge the Tower, because he was one of the three that made it to the very top. However, his challenge was incomplete. Before he could battle the master at the highest level, he disappeared, and no one has seen him since. I am going to finish what he could not, and exceed his greatness. Then, I'll force him out of hiding and demand an explanation for those five years. And no explanation will be forgiven.

As I fumed alone, a strong wind suddenly swept over the entire forest, and a crackling noise seemed to come from above our heads.

"Electricity!" Amber shrieked. She hid behind my back and seemed to shrink into a mere shadow of her normally confident 16-year-old self. Electricity is the one thing Amber absolutely cannot stand.

A hoverboard slowly declined near our vicinity, and I could see Stone shielding the girl in white from the massive gusts of air resulting from its descent. This hoverboard looked nothing like the safe, city hoverboards I was used to. It seemed to be alive, crackling with electricity every couple of seconds and threatening to shock anyone that got in its way. What was more dangerous, however, was the guy languidly lounging on the hoverboard.

Every fiber of my being was yelling at me to run away and never look back. While the girl in white seemed to startle people and Stone seemed to fascinate, this guy practically screamed "DEADLY" in every possible way. It wasn't so much his yellow and black outfit or his spiky blond hairdo, but it was the wild look his eye that made me feel like he was the hunter, and I the prey. An Ampharos was standing directly beside him, and usually, that would've made me laugh out loud. A happy Ampharos with such a dangerous trainer? What a combination! But this Ampharos had a long scar running over its right eye and a permanent scowl on its face, making it not a laughing matter.

"Zach, how lovely to see you! You're looking as cheerful as ever," Stone cheekily joked, as if this was an everyday occurrence. I ogled at him like he was crazy. Did he want to get killed?

"Cut the crap, Stone," Zach growled. Ampharos sparked slightly to show its agreement. "Lucy and you need to be at the Tower NOW. You both have challengers."

Wait, these two were masters of the Tower?!

As the girl in whi- I mean, Lucy, hopped onto the flying hazard like it was no big deal, Zach adjusted his burning gaze at me. My sister, who was still shivering behind my back, began to shiver even harder, as if this guy was her fear personified.

"Who are these people?"

Stone replied with a loud "Oh!" as he realized that he forgot to ask for our names.

"This is Amber. And my name is Gray." I figured that my sister wasn't going to answer anytime soon, so I introduced the both of us.

Stone smiled so as to offset Zach's murderous glare. "Are you guys challenging the Tower?" he asked.

"I am. She's not."

I flinched when I saw Zach's grimace.

"Bet?" he called out to the other two. "He won't make it past one level."

Stone chivalrously declared, "I bet at least six levels. He doesn't look that weak."

Lucy seemed indifferent to the conversation for the most part, but she studied me for a couple of seconds and made a prompt judgment. "Sixteen."

Zach jolted out of his seat, and Stone looked at me in awe.

"You've got to be kidding!" Zach yelped. "The last time you said that was for…"

He trailed off as Lucy indicated the affirmative with a small head nod.

"You're lucky, kid," he yelled over the ear-splitting volume of his hoverboard readying for takeoff. "She's usually right."

Stone jumped onto the hoverboard at the last minute, and they flew off into the evening sky. Behind me, Amber finally relaxed.

"Okay," she chirped, back to her usual self, albeit a bit shaken. "Now we've got to find that tunnel."

SHIT. We forgot to ask for directions.


	2. Surprise Galore

Author's Pre-Story Note:

Hello, my wonderful readers!

Considering that I have no reviews to address at this time, I'll tell you all how I came up with the idea for Tower of Trials. I dreamed and dreamed for several years about the compelling Tower masters and their individual personalities, but I never once contemplated writing the tale for all to see. That is, until I read Pedestal by Digital Skitty. If you haven't devoured Pedestal by now, I highly recommend it. It's probably my favorite story on this entire site, and I learned a lot about myself through those 160 chapters. If my story has half the genius of Pedestal, I did something right.

Expect chapters to be spontaneous. I plan on this story having at least 50 chapters and 100k+ words, so sit down and prepare for a long journey with Gray. Although a lot of ideas are bouncing around my head, I'm a student, so I can only write on weekends, near holidays, and over the summer. This fanfiction should be finished by around July of 2015, if that gives you a good idea of my restricted time. Don't worry, this story will definitely be finished. And perhaps there'll be a sequel.

Now on with the word-vomit!

* * *

After TEN more hours of trekking through the woods (frustrated, I ordered my Fire-type Pokémon to burn through the useless map around halfway, so the rest of our journey was navigated using my sister's magnificent directional instinct), we finally arrived at the Tower. By some miracle.

"Wow! Look at that!" Amber exclaimed and gestured wildly as she looked up at the grand white skyscraper.

It was quite the sight. Sky Pillar was said to be one of the tallest buildings in Hoenn, but it couldn't hold a candle to Johto's Tower of Trials. Each floor was supposed to be as large as a house, and there were 20 floors in total, including a lobby and a residential area. A giant statue of a Dragonite greeted us as soon as we entered, and at the receptionist desk to our right, there was a massive mob of people… Time out. A massive mob of people?

"No way in hell," I muttered tiredly, "am I waiting in this fucking long-ass line!" I tended to swear a lot when I was sleep-deprived.

Pulling my sister through the complaining crowd, I stopped short. Why was there a 10-foot circle of no-entry near the receptionist desk? Did the receptionist have Ebola or something?

As I hesitantly dragged my somehow still energetic sister right up to the counter, the receptionist chair turned around, and Zach glared straight at me. That explained it.

My sister instantly began to shake, and I got goosebumps being so close to this seated bomb of a person, who seemed to be bored out of his mind. Was Zach the receptionist? I couldn't imagine him taking calls or filing papers for a living.

Before I could ask him a very idiotic question that might've gotten me murdered in my sleep, a woman in uniform hurriedly rushed up to the desk.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she uttered with gratitude. "I had to go to the bathroom, and you were the only person I could ask that would keep away the… crowd?"

She made a 360-degree turn and seemed surprised at the amount of people clamoring to get to the counter. In the corner, I thought I saw six Machoke almost drop the enormous package they were carrying, and a Pokémon Control dude was holding back at least nine Ekans from sputtering poison sting at the entire mob.

"Honestly, I leave for two minutes…"

Zach stood up so rapidly that I almost fell down due to shock, and he gave the receptionist a look that said "If you ask me for a favor ever again, I will find you. And I will kill you."

As he left, the receptionist whispered under her breath something not appropriate for children of any age, and she turned to me.

"Hi, sweetie. How can I help you?"

"Umm, I'm here to challenge the Tower? And reserve two rooms?" I said questionably. I wasn't sure exactly what I was doing anymore. Zach had that effect.

"YEAH!" Amber agreed wholeheartedly. "We got lost in the forest for around fourteen hours and ended up wandering around all night. Is that a spa? Can I get a manicure? Oooooohh, there's a tour going around at 2, right? Can I bring my camera? And do you know where I can buy a loofah, by any chance?"

The woman looked at her quizzically. "Fourteen hours? Most people get through that forest in less than 30 minutes."

I flushed. We were nowhere near "most people."

Unfazed, Amber rambled on. "Well, it was fine in the end, anyhow. But you've got to let me know where that secret tunnel is. And what the Star of David has anything to do with getting here, because it was on the corner of our map. I could really help you with map production…"

I haggardly interrupted. "All I want right now is a clean room with a bed."

She smiled as she handed me a key for Room 214. As I vacated the increasingly chaotic premises (one of the Ekans had evolved into an Arbok and was now spraying acid), I looked back to see the receptionist getting more and more stressed out while my sister chattered away and the mob threateningly approached.

I shrugged. Not my problem.

When I finally made it to the bed, I passed out.

* * *

Eleven hours later, I opened my eyes to find a slightly discolored copy of myself staring down at me.

"WHAT IN TARNATION…!"

Ditto giggled as it returned to its blobby blue form. Its condescending cry of "Ditto! Dit!" seemed to say, "You should've seen your face!"

When I first met Shiny Ditto in the Kanto region, I had jumped for joy. My first encounter with a Shiny Pokémon! However, my Pokémon on hand were way too high-leveled to attack and capture it, but I stupidly chanced a Tackle from my weakest. Ditto went down in one hit. I practically had to resuscitate Ditto using a Revive and several Super Potions (and maybe some CPR, but I'll never admit it) and convince it to battle me again. Needless to say, it was an, err, interesting experience. And I've had interesting experiences with Ditto ever since.

"Ditto!" I scolded, now wide-awake. "Don't scare me like that!"

Ditto only seemed to crack up more.

Exasperated, I rummaged through my backpack, hitting a PokéNav (I had that all this time?!), and found Ditto's Pokéball.

"Return," I looked triumphantly at Ditto, who suddenly stopped laughing as it was sucked back into its ball. With the combination of Zach and Ditto scaring the bejeezus out of me in one day, I didn't think my heart could handle any more surprises.

"RISE AND SHINE, BRO!" Amber sang as she suddenly barged into my room.

I think my vital cardiac organ stopped for a few seconds.

Clutching my chest while trying to recover, I began to stare at my sister, who seemed to glow at the attention.

Her auburn brown hair was tied in a high ponytail with a Ponyta elastic, and her entire outfit seemed to be based off of the equestrian Fire-type Pokémon, complete with fake flames burning the edge of her skirt and a fiery red tail.

"What are you wear-? Never mind." I had learned not to ask unnecessary questions when it came to Amber.

"Isn't it adorable? I bought the complete set at the gift shop on the first floor."

I didn't want to know what else my sister had bought on the gift shop on the first floor.

"Let's just get something to eat," I sighed, wondering if we still had enough money left after Amber's latest shopping excursion.

She suddenly brightened. "Oooooohhh, there's this restaurant I've been dying to go to right outside the Tower!"

Barely after I had nodded my head allowing us to go, she hauled me out of my room and almost carried me to the elevator. There was an elevator? I must have been really tired earlier, because I could've sworn there was an escalator.

"Wait!" cried a man as the doors were closing. I quickly pressed the button to open the doors, and the man ran in and inclined his head in thanks.

He was rather nicely dressed. Wearing a fresh white jacket and black dress pants, he looked like a pretty smooth talker that could get away with anything. At the moment, however, he was looking around frantically, and he seemed to panic at the sight of a small security camera in one of the upper corners of the elevator.

"Excuse me, sir. Are you okay?" asked a concerned Amber, polite for once.

"No. I mean, yes, I'm fine, thank you," he said while fiddling with a small suitcase in his right hand. "Just a touch of claustrophobia. That's it."

During the short elevator ride down to the lobby, there was an awkward silence pervading the atmosphere. The man was sweating buckets, and he was in an awful lot of a hurry. As soon as the elevator doors opened, he bolted out to the lobby and nervously eyed everything from the potted plants to the hulking Dragonite figure before exiting out into the night.

Wait, it was night?! I thought we were going to eat lunch!

Letting Amber guide my bewildered self out of the building, we started toward the restaurant when all of a sudden, a twenty-something woman dashed out of the Tower behind us.

"Did you see a man come out of the Tower of Trials? Holding a small case about yay big?" she asked desperately, making a box with her fingers.

"VIOLET!" my sister exclaimed. Hold on, Violet was here? What was with all of the surprises today?!

"Amber? Gray?" Violet seemed astonished by our presence, then composed herself. "Can't talk now. Did you see the man with the case?"

"He went thataway!" Amber pointed. Violet immediately sprinted in the indicated direction.

Violet was the Chief of all of the security and police in every Pokémon region, and she was the Tower master assigned to the area of our hometown, Violet City. Each master of the Tower had his or her own area to look after, so Violet frequently visited our quiet city to ensure that everyone was safe. Her black police hat and neat uniform were beloved by all city-dwellers and rural residents alike, and the mere mention of Violet's name was enough to deter several criminals from performing their dastardly deeds.

Amber adored her. "She's catching a bad guy right now!" Amber squealed, unable to hide her admiration. "We definitely have to follow her!"

It was my turn to drag Amber down to the restaurant, and I vehemently refused any sort of plea to "see the criminal catching first-hand!" My starving stomach trounced all other desires right now, although I do confess that it would be kind of cool to watch.

* * *

After a satisfying meal of the best Miltank burgers I had ever tasted in my life (with Amber pouting across the table), we were stunned to find Violet waiting for us on a Rapidash outside the food joint.

She tipped her hat and grinned. "Need an escort?"

"YES!" shouted Amber, the gloomy frown replaced with an excited beam.

As I patted the Pokémon's cream-colored hide, I asked, "Where'd you get her?" It was common knowledge that Violet specialized in toxicology cases, and Rapidash was not in the Poison category.

"Oh, I borrowed this one from Aiden," she replied nonchalantly as my sister swung her leg over to ride behind Violet. The athletic Pokémon didn't even seem to feel the extra weight. "But Tower masters are not restricted to their specific type. We only need a minimum of three Pokémon of our specialty."

This was news to me. As we rode back to the Tower, Violent and I talked more about the Tower masters, while Amber enthusiastically shot out persistent queries about the recent criminal capture.

"What did he take?"

Violet winked and put a finger to her mouth. "It's a secret."

"Did he murder anyone? Make anything sporadically combust? Involve explosives?"

She laughed at my sister's antics. "None of the above."

"He's no fun then." Amber concluded, as if criminals only existed for her entertainment.

"I did need Rapidash though," Violet defended. "He was a bit too fast for me to catch up on foot. And every case is fun." She smiled brazenly.

Amber looked at her like she was some kind of a religious deity.

I was satisfied as long as I was getting information about the Tower. In between Amber's many, many questions, Violet warned me about a guy named Dalton's multiple personalities and a manipulative master named Xavier.

"But I can't give away too much," she said, clearly enjoying withholding knowledge from me. "You'd have a complete advantage over the other challengers."

Before I could whine that an advantage would be exactly what I needed, we arrived at the Tower. The glass doors slid open to reveal the warm lobby, and we gladly entered.

The receptionist gestured for me to come to the desk. Violet turned towards us.

"Hopefully, I'll see you on Level 4, Gray, ready for a butt-kicking. And Amber, you're welcome to visit any time."

After we said our farewells (Amber was practically crying), I sidled up to the receptionist counter.

"I need to give you your Tower case," she told me as she handed me a thin, rectangular box. I opened it to see various indents forming a picture, like a puzzle without any pieces. "You'll get a piece for every master you defeat," the receptionist explained.

Just as I was about to walk away, the woman grabbed my arm in a vice-grip.

"I almost forgot! I need to let you know who your opponent is for tomorrow. Your first battle is scheduled at 1:30. I assumed you'd probably want to sleep in."

She diligently made her way to a high-tech computer, and a TV screen above the desk suddenly lit up. I massaged my aching arm as the screen rapidly rifled through several pictures, randomizing my opponent. The pictures were gradually slowing down, and I could see several familiar faces. Violet's grin, Zach's dangerous scowl, Lucy's blank stare, and finally, the screen stopped. On a mischievous, charming 13 year old's smirk.

"First opponent," the receptionist smiled. "Level 2. Andrew Stone."


	3. Reigniting Passion

Author's Pre-Story Note:

WyldClaw: Thanks for the first review! Lucy is one of my favorite characters to describe, and she'll play a HUGE role in the development of the plot. Look forward to it!

While this was a long chapter, I felt a bit unsatisfied with the writing. It uses less advanced vocabulary and third-person in the latter half, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but I like to challenge myself to incorporate more elaborate sentence structure, diction, grammar, etc. than the average joe.

What you'll really enjoy about this chapter, Reader, is that you get to understand the characters better, bit by bit. You get to see the facets of their selves that weren't formerly shown, and discern that they're more complex than at first glance. My characters feel like real people with real backstories, which is why I'm so determined to finish their story. They deserve to have their lives told till the end, even if I go way past my July 2015 deadline.

Now on with the word vomit!

(Is that going to become my catchphrase? I sincerely hope not.)

* * *

Have you ever questioned the dream that your very existence was devoted to?

At first, my Pokémon journey was fun, filled with twists and turns, evildoers to sabotage, weak Pokémon to train into strong, victorious beasts, friendships to form, and the promise of a life of awaiting adventure.

However, that strength I desired eventually turned into my own misery, as I yet again managed to effortlessly defeat another trainer whose eyes I had carelessly looked into. By that time, I had obliterated through the Johto League and was on my way to Kanto, hoping that a new League would ease my anxious feelings. What if I never encountered a true challenge ever again?

Pokémon was becoming rather repetitive, battle after battle after battle. Something I had always loved, something that had never before failed to capture my attention and make my eyes sparkle with youth and desire to achieve, had somehow become stale. My hands had long ago stopped tingling with anticipation, had stopped trembling with apprehension. My eyes no longer held the dream. What was the point of becoming a Pokémon Master if striving for that title ceased to be a challenge? If striving for that title ceased to give me joy? What was the point of my life?

When I heard about the Tower of Trials, the first uphill climb that my stepbrother had given up, a spark lit in my soul. Sure, I was crushed by his disappearance, but now I had something to work toward, something to do. I had to surpass him. I had to bring him back.

Also, the rumors surrounding the Tower entranced me: seventeen levels of pure terror, striking fear into the hearts of all who challenged it. Certainly, the Tower Masters would be the Trainers to finally break me. Certainly, they would be the ones to bring back my dream.

They had to be.

I clung to that idea with all of my being. Finally, the journey to become a Pokémon Master was no longer dead. I could go back to the days when life was fulfilling and goals were just out of reach. I could go back to being me. Whatever "me" was.

And so, the Tower of Trials became my light at the end of the tunnel. My last hope.

* * *

"DITTO!" I chastised again as Ditto cartwheeled over the expensive-looking carpet. Could Ditto cartwheel? Did the Pokémon even have feet?

Ditto only laughed harder as it made a mess of my room. A vase shaped like a Sudowoodo began to shake on the edge of a table that Ditto had hit while cartwheeling (er, rolling?), and I barely managed to catch it, preventing the resounding crash the vase would've caused had it fallen to the floor. I sighed in relief, then glared at the stupid Sudowoodo vase for all it was worth. It had all started with this moronic vase after all.

When I woke up this morning, I braced myself for another one of Ditto's inevitable pranks, but was surprised to find that nothing was staring down at me with a creepy grin or in my hair with a gooey, sticky texture. Was Ditto actually being amicable and behaved for my first Tower trial? Humming to myself, happy that my impish Pokémon had somehow righted its wrongs, I jumped out of bed and almost knocked into a vase situated on the floor. "That's funny," I remarked as I picked up the Sudowoodo. I was 99% sure this vase had been on the other side of the room. Then, Ditto finally decided it was a good time to make an appearance, except, you know, the Pokémon was IN MY HANDS AS A FREAKING SUDOWOODO VASE! As I felt the vase slowly transform into slimy, light blue goo right before my eyes, oozing ever so slightly out of my grasp, I let out a manly scream (okay, even mentally I can't convince myself that my scream was manly; actually, it was quite girlish). After all the goop had fallen to the floor, the blob slowly manifested into my Ditto, giving me the creepy grin I had ever so sorely missed. It had all gone downhill from there, with Ditto not so subtly sniggering in my face and cartwheeling (I mean, rolling?) all over the room. Now, it was in the process of scattering all of my possible possessions and wreaking havoc on the rented room's furniture, the damage to which I knew I would inevitably have to pay for. As if Amber didn't already give me enough stuff I had to pay for.

"YO, BRO! WHAT'S WITH ALL THE SCREAMING?" Amber yelled as she slammed open the door. Speak of the devil.

Why did I suddenly hear the sound of glass breaking?

I groaned as I looked down at the pieces of the authentic Sudowoodo vase I had startlingly dropped. Another 500 Pokédollars right there. That was enough for three more of those delicious Miltank burgers that I was practically drooling thinking about.

A quick shiver ran up my spine. A rock-type Pokémon vase shattering and the rock-type Tower Master I was facing today was just a coincidence, right? It wasn't one of those bad omen type things, right? I paled with a grim premonition for the future.

"What's wrong? You look like you're about to pee your pants," Amber teased as Ditto willingly hopped into her arms and began purring in a weird Ditto way. For some reason, Ditto acted like a complete angel when Amber was around. "You're so messy. Better clean up soon, though. What time did the receptionist say again? 1:45?"

"1:30." I could tell Amber was kind of nervous about the battle ahead, since she reverted into older sister mode and actually reminded me about the time, which was oddly comforting. As I took a quick glance at the Budew-shaped clock… &amp;*%$#^ ! It was already 1:29!

After tripping on a Super Rod and stepping on a Tamato Berry (let me tell you, that thing has SPIKES), I finally made it out of the room with 95% of my possessions and Ditto safely in its Pokéball. Thanking the receptionist with all my lucky stars for scheduling my battle later than most (but not late enough), I rushed into the elevator at mach speed and frantically pressed the 2 button like my life was on the line.

"Wait for me!" my sister panted, running hysterically in her Slowpoke-themed outfit. Since when did she have a Slowpoke-face hat? Must have bought it at the gift shop on the first floor.

"You're too much of a Slowpoke!" I chuckled at my own cleverness as the elevator doors closed just beyond my sister's panicked face. I was being a bit mean, but it was payback for that 500 Pokédollar Sudowoodo vase I dropped because she barged into my room. I mean, come on! Three Miltank burgers!

My laughter slowly subsided, and my tiredness gradually returned. I was up late last night thinking unnecessarily somber thoughts about lights at the end of tunnels and last hopes. When have I ever been that metaphorical? But the feelings were ever so real, and I tried to ignore the fact that my eyes were passionless in the mirror this morning, and my hands lacked even a slight visual tremble.

When the elevator finally opened, a straight, cavernous hallway led to a gigantic granite door, completely ajar.

Little by little, every step I took toward the door revealed more of its contents, and at the end of the long hallway, I gasped. Amber was going to love this one.

Two mountain ranges bordered the East and the West sides of the enormous room (could it even be classified as a room at this point?), and an expansive desert spanned the entire rest of the arena. A small circular platform was raised at the centermost point above the sandy landscape, and it was the only thing not completely covered in beige powder or onyx rubble. A pile of boulders arranged in a round, snowball-y shape rested atop the gravel platform, and the sun seemed to shine especially on the platform's rocks. The one rock I needed to find however, Stone, was nowhere to be found.

"Err, Stone?" I called out as I hesitantly stepped into the desert environment. The temperature instantly rose about 40 degrees and thawed me out of the cavern's coldness. I could feel sand pouring into my sneakers. "Stone? Andrew Stone?"

"You're early!" Stone abruptly popped out from behind the boulder pile with his classic charming smile and a wet rag in his left hand. Checking my heart for irregular palpitations, I was surprised to find that I wasn't taken aback by Stone's loud exclamation. Too much Ditto early in the morning must have made me immune.

"Uh, actually, I'm 10 minutes late," I apologetically said, hanging my head and looking down at my increasingly sand-filled shoes.

Stone laughed. "Don't worry. Eve, our receptionist, always tells the challenger the time 20 minutes before schedule. She understands that Trainers can't sleep. They're too fired up for the upcoming battle!"

I grimaced. Rather than excitement, _my _insomnia was caused by something else entirely.

Oblivious to my pained expression, Stone continued on. "Or, " he said, with a cocky raised eyebrow, "they're late because they're too afraid to face the GREAT me, which, too, is COMPLETELY understandable." He finished his show of confidence, changing his ever-charismatic grin to an annoying smirk, goading me to oppose his ridiculous claim.

Oh, if it was a pummeling he wanted, it was a pummeling he was going to get. This 13 year old, who, I note (actually, I EMPHASIZE), was SHORTER than me, dared to taunt a boy's (excuse me, a MAN'S) pride? My Pokémon would pound this puny kid so hard, he would be crying for his –

Suddenly, Amber burst into the room, panting heavily in her new attire. She was now clad in a Flygon outfit, complete with tinted-red sunglasses perched atop her bronze waves and even wing-like contraptions strapped to the back of her moss-colored dress. But what alarmed me more than her absurd fashion choices (and the Pokédollars I later found missing from my wallet) was the solemn look on her face. Amber was never this serious. Unless, of course, something _was _serious.

Ignoring the scenery, which she certainly would have "Oooooh"ed and "Ahhhhhh"ed at until at least next month, my sister slowly plodded toward me at a depressing pace. After shooting Stone a weak smile, Amber firmly grasped onto one end of my metallic-hued t-shirt and quietly whispered, "Don't leave me again."

My desire to crush Stone into the sand surrounding us disappeared, and I silently cursed my own stupidity. How could I have forgotten my sister's… special circumstances? Even the Rock and Ground-type Tower Master seemed surprised with Amber's behavior, and he had only met the usually cheerful, talkative girl once before. Assured with a comforting pat on the head and several definitive "I won't"s, Amber finally let go of my now-wrinkled shirt and set off for the audience benches, gradually adding a bigger skip after every step.

I sighed in relief. She was going to be okay. Turning back to the still wide-eyed Stone, it was now my turn to blow his socks off. "Hey, now," I declared in the most irritating way possible, adding in my own attitude-filled charade. "Don't get ahead of yourself, kid. Respect your elders. Did you think I would actually be AFRAID? Of you?" I maniacally cackled for effect. "I was up late last night thinking of all the ways I could pound you into oblivion. I guess it was so fun that the time just slipped by."

Stone's normally lively eyes narrowed, and just as he opened his mouth to retort with some measly insult, I joyously interrupted.

"Unless you're apologizing for your RUDE assuption," I muttered "afraid" and scoffed loudly, "just shut up and battle." For the final touch, I included an arrogant flip of my hair and a humorous wink to let Stone know it was all an exaggerated facade.

Lighting up in realization, Stone's face broke out into an amused grin, and he let out a small chuckle. Our glances briefly met; then, all of a sudden, we both started cracking up as if we weren't threatening each other two minutes ago. I could somehow sense _someone_ behind us rolling her eyes and giving an exasperated moan of "BOYS!" but that made us laugh even harder. In fact, Stone eventually couldn't stand up straight and had to lean against that giant, round boulder pile on the center platform… WHICH FLIPPING BROUGHT OUT ARMS AND LEGS AND A FACE! I promptly fell with my butt in the sand like the coordinated guy I was and began crawling backward in fright at godspeed.

"Golem!" the bipedal Pokémon seemed to guffaw at my fearful expression, while Stone was hunched over on the ground, clutching at his stomach as if he were dying of laughter. Even Amber gave an obvious giggle at my terror. Good to know who was on my side.

"Shut up, you guys!" My scarlet embarrassed face spoke volumes. "Let's just battle already."

"Wait… wait up…" Stone's voice barely came out as he struggled to recover from his latest laugh attack. Super effective.

When Stone could keep a straight face at last (well, he still had on a handsome smile, but I think that just came with the genetics), he lightly tapped Golem and cocked his head toward the door. The Rock and Ground-type faintly shook its head no, and Stone's face fell. After uttering what I believe was "But she's always on time…" under his breath, Stone gestured for Gray to stand on a steadily rising platform that rose out of nowhere from beneath the desert. The Tower Master shook Gray's hand excitedly and enthusiastically encouraged an amazing battle, but Gray could tell that Stone was distracted, uneasy about something, or rather, someone.

As Stone took one last look at the entrance, Golem patted him on the back as if to ease his anxiety. The Master snapped himself out of his reverie, smiled and thanked Golem, returned the Pokémon, and walked, a bit reluctantly, to his place in the distance across the sandy expanse.

Meanwhile, Gray was trying, and failing, to psych himself up for the challenge. Sure, he wanted to give this little punk a piece of his mind and demonstrate several of his battling skills, but "piece"? "Several"? In his mind, those were only words synonymous to "adequacy"; his motivation was certainly higher than before, but it wasn't enough.

* * *

Exhaling aloud, Amber stared at the two Trainers, both uneager for the fight ahead. Oh geez. Watching a battle where neither Trainer _wanted_ to battle was a real bore. Just as Amber was about to hurl her shoe at Gray's unsuspecting head (to spice things up a bit and call him a moron), she tensed up.

Why could she feel _sparks_?

Rotating her head ever so slowly to peek behind her, she relaxed when she didn't find an angry psycho killer with a gigantic chainsaw reaching to gouge out her heart. Dad had introduced her to some gruesome horror movies back in Pokémon School, which was NOT good for her developing imagination. She still shampooed with her eyes open.

"Yo! Girlie!"

Amber shrieked deafeningly. It was worse than a psycho killer. Wayyy worse.

"Am I really that scary?"

Of course, that phrase would have been perfectly normal if anyone else had expressed it, but noooooooo, she had to be stuck with the mentally insane one. There was a quality about his voice, the sort to induce bloodcurdling screams and spine-chilling nightmares, the sort to mutter torturous suggestions in hushed tones. Perhaps the true frightening aspect was the manner in which he angled his head slightly to the right, his irises the pigment of golden ichor, leisurely analyzing his prey. Or maybe the real scare was the relentless shivering of her fragile fingers, or the mind howling at her to leave, to look away, to do something, anything but freeze in fear, just like at _that_ time, and her stark inability to avert her gaze away from this electrifying predator.

Zach was leaned back, arms behind his short hair, a brilliant lighting shade pointed upwards as if yearning to return to the skies where electricity belonged. He seemed ecstatic about her lack of response, loving to toy with new challengers and spectators and, well, all people in general.

Appearing to be in a better mood than, say, his baseline standard of glaring and scowling (although there was still a little bit of that present), Zach actually attempted to make conversation. If "conversation" meant a one-sided monologue.

"Dull? Drab? Wallflower? Whatever his name is, I would be surprised if he makes it out of this battle alive. The Tower of Trials is not a vacation site, girlie," he leaned closer to Amber, his crooked smile looming above her shuddering shoulders. "Many Trainers have released their Pokémon and quit their journeys after attempting the first level." Zach abruptly nodded in Gray's direction, implying that he was in the category of _many trainers_. "Your boyfriend… Silver, was it? He won't make it past the first half-hour, let alone best sixteen Masters. Lucy may have given you guys false hope, but I suggest you leave with your dignities intact."

The way he snarled the word "leave" was the absolute last straw. Amber's shuddering shoulders were, in reality, shuddering in fierce anger, infuriated by Zach's unnecessary _advice_. Looking haughtily at her was one thing, but insulting her younger brother? That was unacceptable.

Gritting her teeth, Amber gave Zach a glower of pure hatred. If looks could kill, Zach would be buried deep within Mt. Pyre, but… oh, wait, that would be an insult to the departed Pokémon already entombed there.

"For your information, my _brother_, Gray, whose name I'm _sure_ you were already aware of, is a gifted battler. You should really resign before he annihilates your ass and shames you in front of the," she evidently cast her view toward the ceiling, "Masters higher up, because you're undeniably a low level grunt to be utilizing petty insults. Hmmm… But I guess defeat might be a beneficial experience for you, to whip that arrogant personality back into shape. By the way, it's not _girlie_, it's Amber, and you better leave before your _dignity_," she emphasized the word by pronouncing it very slowly, as if clarifying a term for a naive preschooler, "gets shattered to pieces. So, Zach, it might be really, really, really difficult for you, but let's try to be professional here."

Zach was speechless. His jaw dropped, and he stared at Amber as if she had used the move Astonish. After all, from his perspective, the girl previously was the easiest of easy targets, a mere quivering Pichu in front of a savage Luxray.

Even Amber seemed momentarily astounded by her own feat, and after her widening eyes revealed comprehension of her latest act, she speedily scurried to sit at the very edge of the bench, as far away from Zach as possible.

As Zach inclined to give chase to his newest victim, a delicate white sandal elegantly strided in his path.

"Move," he growled at the intruder.

Lucy, carrying a dainty ivory parasol, glimpsed Zach fleetingly like he was an insignificant Weedle, and glided with a dignified air to perch between the former predator and prey. However, Amber thought she might have been imagining things. Was there a flash of a glare in Lucy's typically stoic azure eyes, seeming to say, "if you want me to move, make me"?

The tension on the bench was palpable, and, in contrast, Amber almost laughed when one side of the battlefront brightened up instantly. She could practically see the waves of elation emanating from Stone once the brunette maiden arrived.

"I concede this round, _Amber_," Zach barked out, accentuating her name in an almost painful manner. He probably didn't surrender very often. "Lucy only bestows her presence upon us plebians," he spat out bitterly, "when the battle will be extremely difficult for Stone to win."

Amber pivoted her head around to look at Lucy with a curious gaze, when both Tower Masters suddenly stiffened.

Wondering what all the commotion was about, Amber scrutinized the entire arena, a lone Leafeon catching her eye. The Grass-type Pokémon behaved like a well-trained soldier, marching in with its head held high and resting in a disciplined, stick-straight pose to the side of the battlefield. Its burning watch over the premises, and especially, Gray, unnerved Zach and even Lucy to extraordinary levels.

The Electric-type Master sourly huffed, "Well, _Amber_, Slate or Silver or whatever is likely to be a phenomenal battler, now that he's got _her_ interested."

Lucy only lightly acknowledged Zach's judgment with a refined nod of affirmation.

Aiming to pry about who in the world this _her_ was, Amber was just about to inquire (quite annoyingly to the point of begging and threatening) when the Tower Masters were saved from their subsequent hours of torture. The battle was starting.

Amber, completely forgetting about _her_, was immediately overcome by a surge of sibling pride. "If you really want to know how skilled Gray is with Pokémon," she paused, adjusting her focus onto the said challenger, "get a feel for his _atmosphere_."

Indeed, Gray's demeanor was usually a fairly mediocre one, but as of the moment, the aura around him seemed injected with a novel intensity, a kind of figurative gravitational pull toward his body that none could withstand.

Amber optimistically beamed as she finished her thought.

"And observe his opponent being incinerated in the blistering flames of hell."

* * *

Six on six. Single battle. Gray perpetually recited the rules in his mind as soon as Stone had mentioned them. He was ready. To obliterate.

With a practiced hand, he casually reached for a Pokéball on his belt… only to hit air.

Flustered and confused, Gray fumbled for another Pokéball, but that one was missing as well.

His hands began to tremble, and he finally felt that breathless blow of anticipation. Gray guessed when he estimated to pick up 95% of his possessions earlier, he really did mean 95%.

He had to face possibly the best Rock and Ground-type Trainer of this generation…

Without his Grass or Water-type Pokémon.


End file.
